Judge denies xAI’s request to block Minnesota ban on ‘nudify’ apps
A U.S. district judge has rejected xAI's bid to temporarily block Minnesota's ban on 'nudify' apps, citing significant delays in filing the lawsuit.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- U.S. federal judge denies xAI's request for a temporary restraining order
- Minnesota's ban on AI nudify apps moves forward as scheduled
- The judge noted that the delayed filing suggested a lack of immediate harm
- The overarching lawsuit challenging the law will continue to proceed
Despite legal pushback from xAI, a newly enacted ban on applications that generate non-consensual sexualized images in Minnesota is permitted to move forward, according to NBC News. The decision was handed down by U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank.
Judge Frank’s ruling placed significant emphasis on the timeline chosen by xAI to initiate its legal challenge, rather than solely evaluating the substance of the legislation itself. According to the court documents, xAI submitted its request for a temporary restraining order on July 29, 2026—nearly three months after the law was officially signed and a mere three days prior to its scheduled effective date of August 1.
"Such a delay in bringing the action and the motion suggests that harm is not immediate"
Donovan Frank
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Minnesota's legislation targeting 'nudify' apps stands as a pioneering state-level effort in the United States to crack down on AI-generated non-consensual explicit imagery. This regulatory momentum follows earlier controversies where users of Elon Musk's platform X utilized the Grok chatbot to flood social media feeds with explicit manipulated photos, triggering widespread investigations and platform bans. The court's refusal to grant an emergency block highlights how judicial bodies weigh the urgency of a plaintiff's claims; waiting months to seek relief undercuts arguments regarding immediate and irreparable harm.
This setback does not mark the conclusion of xAI's legal battle against the state legislation; rather, it simply permits the law to take effect while the litigation moves forward. In its ongoing lawsuit, xAI has contended that the ban—noted as the first of its kind nationwide—is overly inclusive and that less restrictive alternatives could achieve identical policy goals.
Source: TechCrunch
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